How Did Princess Charlene and Prince Albert Meet?
Many people dream of marrying a prince or a princess. In the case of Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene, they had a famous royal wedding over a decade ago.
While the two became well-known for their royal standing as well as their ornate wedding, it led many people to wonder how they met. Here’s the story of how the royal duo became one.
Prince Albert and Charlene wed in 2011
According to Hello! Magazine, Prince Albert is the prince of Monaco. He married Charlene in 2011. Charlene famously got very emotional during the ceremony. There were rumors that Albert was unfaithful prior to their wedding, which is why many people speculated Charlene was crying.
Charlene said this wasn’t true, stating, “Everything was just so overwhelming and there were all the mixed emotions because of the rumors, and obviously the tension built up and I burst into tears. And then I burst into tears some more because I was thinking ‘Oh no, now the whole world has seen me cry.'”
The wedding looked like quite a storybook one—and the relationship all started back when the two first met.
How Prince Albert and Princess Charlene met
Albert and Charlene’s romance may not have been all fairy tales all the time, but the way they met was quite charming. The two came together thanks to their love of the world of sports. It connected them when they first met and kept them bonded when they reconnected later on.
According to Hello! Magazine, Albert and Charlene first met at a swimming competition. Charlene was 22 at the time and a world-class swimmer. In the past, Albert was a bobsledder who had competed in five Winter Olympics.
The pair met and immediately hit it off. According to Charlene, Albert reached out to her via her team, courting her right away:
“It was incredibly flattering..After seeing me swim, Albert asked my management for permission to take me out. We spent the whole evening laughing and talking.”
It took another five years before the two could properly date, at which time they picked right up where they left off. Charlene’s competitive days were nearly at an end before they could reignite their romance. They bonded over their love of athletics, as Charlene said:
“Our first public appearance was at the Turin Olympic Games in 2006. Albert put me at ease…It was clear that we shared the same passions; we both became very emotional watching the athletes. Sport is the common denominator of our lives.”
Where are Albert and Charlene now?
Albert and Charlene had quite a torrid courtship which led to their nuptials. According to People, the pair married in 2011. They recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.
Sadly, the duo has been physically split for quite some time. Charlene is stuck in her native South Africa recovering from surgery. Physicians have told her she’s unable to fly at the moment because of the surgery. She released a statement talking about how difficult it was:
“My daily conversations with Albert and my children help me keep my spirits up a lot, but I miss their presence very much…I can’t wait for us to be together.”
Albert may not have been able to be with his wife, but he was able to participate in the world of athletics. He attended the recent Tokyo Olympics, representing his home nation of Monaco.
While he may not be spending time with Charlene at the moment, at least he’s able to engage in something they both loved and that drew them together initially.
